Connery goes on the SNP offensive

Sean Connery yesterday waded into the Scottish elections with a speech designed to inject some life into the SNP's faltering campaign.

In his first political speech, the former James Bond star said Labour had destroyed the spirit and positive enthusiasm that had surrounded the decision to create Scotland's first parliament in 300 years.

Connery said he detected a change in the political atmosphere north of the border since he last campaigned there in the devolution referendum.

'When I campaigned with Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats there were no Tories of course for the referendum vote, there was a spirit and a positive enthusiasm,' said Mr Connery. 'Well the control freaks have blown it away. They have replaced it with fear and intimidation, the very same way that others have before them.'

Connery gave his address to 300 Scottish National Party activists at a pre-election rally in Edinburgh. With just nine days to go until the election, the nationalists are 20 points behind Labour in the polls.

Labour's highly successful 'Divorce is an Expensive Business' campaign led by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has forced the SNP on to the back foot. The intervention of Connery yesterday is the nationalists' last big hope of turning their campaign around.

When Connery addressed the troops whom he greeted as fellow SNP members there was always a danger that, like many expatriate Scots, his words would come more from the heart than the head. But his measured speech, with just the right level of sentiment, may turn out to be the fillip the SNP was hoping for.

'If I was asked, 'who do you think will win this election?', my answer would be, hopefully Scotland,' said Connery.

'We are about to have our own parliament. If it is to succeed it must be democratic and all the voices of all the parties must be heard. We have waited nearly 300 years. My hope is that it will evolve with dignity and integrity and it will truly reflect the new voice of Scotland.'

Since his arrival in Scotland to promote his latest film, Entrapment, Connery has been subjected to a barrage of criticism from the Scottish press. He has been accused of asking Scots to pay more tax from the safety of his Bahamas home.

He opened his four-minute speech with: 'Everything I have done or attempted to do for Scotland has always been for her benefit, never my own and I defy anyone to prove otherwise.'

And rounding on hostile journalists, he said: 'Let us understand something. I am not a politician and I have no intention of being one. I am reading this [speech] only because I have not been able to trust my emotions or my language. Because I have never in my life witnessed or experienced such shameful abuse by this Scottish media.

'I am ashamed of it and I am angry. I know the game was to provoke me. Well you succeeded.'

The actor, who donates around £40,000 each year to the SNP, received the loudest cheer when he told the rally of his life-long commitment to the nationalist cause.

'My position on Scotland has never changed in 30-odd years. Scotland should be nothing less than equal with all the other nations of the world,' he said.

Mr Connery ended his speech: 'The only thing left to do is to vote and vote again and I will be right with you.'

But it is a long way from his Caribbean home to the polling booths of Scotland. The SNP must hope his brand of patriotic sentiment travels well.